William Merritt Chase

Portrait of a Lady in Pink

William Merritt Chase’s confident technique reflects both his academic training in Munich and his interest in French Impressionism. Combining both influences, he opposes fine modeling in the sitter’s face and arms with the bravura brushstrokes that create her frothy gown. The pink tonal motif acknowledges a debt to James A. M. Whistler (1834-1903), as does the decorative Japanesque scrim used as a unifying background. Chase considered the portrait one of his best and submitted it to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Purchased by Providence collector Isaac C. Bates, Lady in Pink became the first oil painting by a living American artist to enter the Museum’s collection. The model for the portrait was Mariette ‘Pansy’ Benedict Cotton, one of Chase’s students.

The model for this painting was Chase’s student Marietta “Pansy” Benedict Cotton, a young New York socialite. Chase’s composition showcases his eclectic techniques, from the fine academic modeling of the sitter’s face and arms to the wide, bravura brushstrokes of her gown. Critics lauded the decorative backdrop and the “artistic quality” of the dress’s translucent pink layers. After exhibiting Lady in Pink at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Chase sold it to Isaac C. Bates of Providence. The following year, it became the first American painting to enter the RISD Museum’s collection.

William Merritt Chase’s confident technique reflects both his academic training in Munich and his interest in French Impressionism. Combining both influences, he opposes fine modeling in the sitter’s face and arms with bravura brushstrokes for her frothy gown. The pink tonal motif acknowledges a debt to James A. M. Whistler (1834-1903), as does the decorative Japanesque scrim used as a unifying background. Chase considered the portrait one of his best and submitted it to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Purchased by Providence collector Isaac C. Bates, Lady in Pink became the first oil painting by a living American artist to enter the Museum’s collection. The model for the portrait was Mariette ‘Pansy’ Benedict Cotton, one of Chase’s students.

Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. “Selected Works”. Providence: Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 2008.

Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. “Selection VII”. Providence: Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design,1977.